Voice over Internet Protocol (hereinafter “VoIP”) is a commonly-used method for routing voice conversations over the Internet (or, alternately, through any IP-based network). VoIP helps users realize cost savings by transmitting both voice and data traffic over a single network.
One often criticized flaw in traditional VoIP-based communications relates to quality of service. If packets are dropped or lost at any point in a transmission, voice drop-outs can occur. This flaw may be compounded where a user is connected wirelessly, such as using a laptop computer connected to a network using the 802.11b wireless protocol. In such cases, packets can be dropped not just during transmission over the IP-based network, but also during wireless transmission from the source to the IF network.